After playing a police officer in Sacred Games, Saif Ali Khan is set to play a stock market hotshot in Baazaar. The actor, who has been experimenting with various characters onscreen, will be seen in this drama which also stars Chitrangada Singh, Rohan Mehra and Radhika Apte.

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Baazaar, which releases today, revolves around the stock market with a mentor-protege relationship as its spine. Set in the backdrop of money, power and business, it shows the rise of the anti-hero.

Speaking about playing a seasoned stock trader Shakun Kothari in Baazaar, Saif told PTI, “There might be a little grace to the character. I think when I was a kid I used to watch Alain Delon movies. He was the best looking guy that’s ever been. This French actor used to play these slightly darker roles but he used to give it a little style and in my head I thought, that’s cool. I’ve always been slightly intrigued by darkness more than the light side of things.”

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Read all the updates about Saif Ali Khan's Baazaar.

Saiyami Kher posted on Twitter, "Good luck @gauravvkchawla hearing great things about #Baazaar and @rohanvmehra congratulations on your rock solid start! Many more to come. Watching it very soon! @nikkhiladvani @monishaadvani you’ll are on a roll!"

Karan Johar tweeted, "Compelling and entertaining! #Bazaar is a solid film! Twists and turns that will be keep you on your toes! Saif ali khan is fantastic!!! Rohan Mehra makes a promising debut as does Gaurav Chawla as debut director! Congratulations Nikhil Monisha and Madhu!❤️❤️❤️"

Saif Ali Khan spoke about his character in Baazaar to The Indian Express and said, "My role in the film is that of a ruthless Gujarati businessman who trades without any respect for long-standing companies. Wherever he sees a weakness, he tries to exploit it. The character is very talkative, which challenged the boundaries of running dialogues. It’s a story of good versus evil, but that also depends which side you’re on."

The Indian Express critic Shubhra Gupta writes, "The treatment of the film is moth-balled (a line in English is translated immediately after in Hindi) and hackneyed. Bad songs punctuate the proceedings. Background music is used to buoy almost every scene."

Rohan Mehra is the son of the yesteryear star Vindo Mehra. He told PTI, "I feel I am an outsider despite being his son. I don’t think I’ve ever used his name to get an interview or a meeting. Till last year, if I had gone to a Bollywood party, I would’ve walked and no one would know who I am. No one even knew I existed. They came to know when the trailer came out."

Baazaar might earn Rs 2.5 crore on its opening day. Trade analyst Girish Johar said, “It is Saif Ali Khan who is driving the film. The makers have tried to target the Gujarati community and it is expected to earn something between Rs 2-2.5 crore on the day of its release. The rest depends on the reviews and the word of mouth.”